Edge of a Broken Heart
by DemonicFoxSpirit
Summary: The first year of the relationship was perfect. Almost too perfect. With the start of the second year, things spiral downhill. YAOI, Implied JeanxEren, Eventual LevixEren.
1. Chapter 1

Fandom: Attack on Titan. Main pairing: Levi x Eren, hints of Jean x Eren. Warning: This story contains extreme violence (physical and verbal abuse), and eventually there will be smut. I do not own AoT or the song used.

XXX

I can't believe I could've been so blind,  
but love is strange.  
I thought about it for a long, long time,  
but the truth remains.  
I don't need another lonely night  
to dry my tears.  
The answer's plain as black and white,  
but I can see the picture very clear.

xoxo

In public, they seemed to be the perfect couple.

Always holding hands, stealing quick kisses and loving looks were always exchanged. Normally, neither one was left alone, but if for any reason they were, it was never for long. Doors were held open for the younger of the two, compliments and sentimental words were given, voices were never raised. To every person on the outside looking in saw nothing strange going on between them. They were perfect for each other. Too perfect. No flaws. No odd quirks. No lashing out.

Behind closed doors, everything fell apart.

Yelling and screaming filled the air, fists were raised and cruel words were spat. Punches and kicks were felt, tears were shed and apologies were given. Insults flew and stung like salt on a deep cut, a young heart was broken and dreams were shattered into a million tiny pieces. Pictures once hanging on the walls or sitting on tables were thrown across the room or tossed to the floor, each crash loud and cringe-worthy. Doors were slammed, chairs were knocked over and tables were over-turned. Death threats were yelled, fingers were pointed and the younger of the two was beaten into submission. Usually, the threats and vulgar words sliced through the air all night, and the younger man hardly slept. On particularly bad nights, though, the older of the two walked out, slamming the door behind him. Sometimes he stayed away for days, even weeks. But as soon as he stepped foot into the home the two shared, the fights ensued like an all-out war. The arguments that had once been thought to be over and done with started anew, and nothing was ever resolved.

The younger man was scared for his life, always hoping and wishing that things would change for the better. Part of him wanted to leave. To get away from the only man he had ever loved and finally be free from the constant anger and sadness. The constant fear of doing something wrong and only making the fights worse. The never-ending nights of sitting alone on the cold, hard floor in one of the two bathrooms and crying into the silence. Of wrapping arms around himself in order to feel some kind of warmth on cold nights when his boyfriend walked out on him. He had no family left. He was forbidden from having any friends. His phone had been taken away from him, however, he still had his laptop. But any site that was deemed inappropriate or any site that allowed for talking to people had been blocked, and the sites he did get on were strictly monitored. He now had no say in any aspect of his life except how he dressed. Being in such a controlling relationship was hard, but no matter what he was put through, he couldn't leave. There was nowhere for him to go if the time came for it. If he said something out of line, he was punched in the stomach. If he dropped a dish or spilled something on the floor, he was burned by the small metal piece of a lighter. If he so much as spit in his boyfriend's direction...needless to say, things got messy. He was never hit on the face. No, all his scars and bruises were covered by the clothing he wore. It wasn't up to him. They always put on an act of civility for any public area, so nobody would suspect anything foul going on. As soon as they returned home, the fighting started up again. And there was no one he could tell. Nothing he could do.

Things had never been this bad. The start of the relationship had been blissful and...perfect. It was your typical love-at-first-sight kind of thing. Where the sun rose and set on him. Nothing he ever did was wrong, he was showered with gifts and kind, loving words. He even had friends. And the night he had finally lost his virginity to the man of his dreams had been memorable in every aspect of the word. All of that was within the first year. And things were going great.

But with the second year...

Everything went to hell.

xxx

December 31st, 2014

10:45 p.m.

They had been invited to a New Year's party at a friend's house. It was a pretty big party, with groups of people lounging against walls and chatting amongst themselves, plenty of alcohol going around and food enough to feed a small army. Loud music played in the background mixing with the yells and laughs of over-inebriated guests, and who knew what was going on in the few bedrooms upstairs. Just a normal party.

Eren looked up from the book he had been casually flipping through at the sound of his name being called. His eyes landed on his best friend, who seemed to be plastered drunk because he was staggering through the room pointing his finger and grinning widely as he came to a stop in front of the younger man. Eren giggled at the sight before him. Blond hair a wild-looking mess, cheeks stained with pink, and eyes glazed over from the alcohol swirling around in his stomach. "Armin, don't you think you've had enough? And I thought you drove here, how will you get home?"

Armin hiccuped and swayed, nearly losing his balance. He held a hand up for a moment and tried to speak. "Idon'needa...hic. Mi..Mikas-" The rest was slurred together but he did manage to point a finger somewhere behind him. Eren followed the gesture with his eyes until he caught sight of Mikasa leaning against a wall talking to some blond girl. Getting the hint, he smiled and pulled Armin down beside him. If he could keep his older friend from drinking anymore, he most certainly would. There was no need for him to get so drunk that he barfed up everything he ate in the last few days.

Eren sighed, completely bored because the one person he hoped he would be spending time with wasn't there. Well, he was there, but not in the sense that Eren wanted him to be. They had arrived at the party about an hour and a half ago, and Jean went straight to drinking with his buddies. Eren was only 20, so he couldn't drink. Not that he would want to. The alcohol all smelled the same and produced the same results: Drunken rambling and fist fights. He hoped Jean had enough sense in him to stop drinking just enough that they could share their first kiss of the second year they would be together. Eren met Jean at a party like this exactly one year ago, and they had both been smitten. Jean had approached Eren and they immediately fell into a deep conversation. They talked for hours, about any and everything. Eren had instantly liked Jean's sense of humor and the way he talked. The older man had a slight German accent, and each time he spoke, Eren melted. Jean had called Eren the day after the party and asked him on a real date, to which Eren happily agreed. Things went smoothly from there. Until about five months into the relationship, when Eren lost his parents. They had died in a car accident, and Eren had fallen into a deep depression. Sure, it still hurt, but Eren was pulled from his funk when Jean had all but demanded that Eren move in with him. After about a month of living together, Eren had consented to losing his virginity.

Eren was the happiest he had ever been, but little did he know, things were going to get a lot worse real soon.

11:15 p.m.

Armin had fallen asleep, his head now resting against Eren's right shoulder as he slept away the alcohol in his system. Eren still hadn't seen Jean, and he was beginning to worry that his boyfriend would be too drunk to function properly. He had been thinking about looking for him to say he was going to take Armin home so the blond man could sleep in his own bed and not on somebody's couch. As soon as he shifted to push the heat of Armin's body away from him, a gruff voice startled him.

"Hey, kid, what are you doing over here all by yourself?"

Eren jumped, and Armin grunted in his sleep. "Huh?" The man that had approached him was tall, freakishly so, had short blond hair parted in the middle and swept to each side and shaved in the back, thick eyebrows rested over piercing blue eyes that raked over Eren before settling back on his face. He was broad shouldered, and dressed in a white short sleeved t-shirt, faded blue jeans ripped at the knees hugged his long legs and shiny, black leather shoes adorned his feet. There was no doubt this man was attractive, but he oozed a ridiculous amount of intimidation, which had Eren squirming uncomfortably. "Um, no. I mean, I'm not here by myself. I'm with my boyfriend."

The man smiled, a predatory smile, and flicked his eyes over to the lump sleeping on Eren's shoulder. "That your boyfriend there?"

Eren shuddered. "Ha, no. This is my best friend, Armin. He just...drank a bit too much. I was actually about to go find my boyfriend to tell him I'm taking Armin home when you came over."

"Hoh, I see." The man shifted his feet and stood up straight, taking a quick drink from his cup. As he swallowed, he leaned down, causing Eren to fidget from the man's close proximity. "What if I said I wanted to get to know you better? In my eyes, your boyfriend doesn't care that you're over here while he gets shit-faced, so why don't you let me keep you company-"

"EREN! WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Eren gasped as Jean came stumbling into view, normally honey colored eyes now cloudy and gait stiff. Raw anger seemed to pour off him in waves, and Eren had to bite his tongue. Never, in all the time they had been dating, had he ever seen Jean this angry. Hell, he couldn't even remember a time when the man had been anything but chipper and laughing at his own jokes. What on Earth had him so mad all of a sudden? Then he realized how it must have looked to Jean, him sitting on the couch with some stranger hovering over him. He quickly tried to hide his fear as he spoke. "Jean, I was getting ready to come look for you. I need to take Armin home-"

"Oh, fuck that! That's not what it fucking looked like to me!"

Eren cringed at Jean's voice. His anger. It took him a moment to realize that Jean's finger was now pointed in the blond guy's face, and they were yelling back and forth. By now, Armin was wide awake and clinging to Eren's shirt like the couch was on fire. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He didn't even have a second to blink as he was pulled off the couch by his wrist and pulled to the door and out into the night.

xxx

"Stop fucking lying to me!"

"Jean, I'm not lying! I told you what happened, and how it happened. Why are you so angry-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Eren gasped and immediately took a step back. But Jean stepped towards him. Hands were balled into fists, eyes creased with anger and malice. Eren couldn't even brace himself for what happened next...

A large fist connected with his stomach making Eren double over and scream. He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach with both hands as he tried to make sense of what just happened. Before he could choke out a single word, a large, steel-toed boot rammed into his left side and he met the floor hard. White stars exploded behind his tear-filled eyes, and the last thing he saw before darkness consumed him, was Jean's angry face.

XXX

February 12th, 2015

4:35 a.m.

Eren lay awake, staring up at the ceiling through the darkness, the only light being the soft green glow from the alarm clock on the nightstand by his bed. He hardly slept anymore. Ever since that night at the new year's party...Jean had become distant. Eren was beaten for the smallest things. His chest, torso, stomach, sides, shoulders, back, upper thighs were all littered with old and fresh bruises, cuts that were just starting to heal, burn marks. He still didn't know what he had done to deserve anything like this. He hadn't seen or heard from Armin or Mikasa, or anyone else for that matter since...

Eren covered his eyes with both hands, crying silently into the cold, dark room. He was glad that the home he shared with Jean had two separate bedrooms, and had moved all his stuff into the vacant one to escape the fury that was his boyfriend. He missed Jean. Missed his tender kisses, his loving looks. Missed his soft caresses, his passion-filled voice when they made love. Eren didn't get to feel any of that anymore. All he ever felt now was sheer, unrelenting pain. When they were out together in public, Jean would give him half-assed smiles and would lightly touch his fingertips to Eren's hand for all of maybe one second. To others, they still looked like a happy couple. If only they knew that Eren and Jean were anything but. They had fought again. Hell, that's all they ever did nowadays. Jean still wouldn't allow Eren to have friends or talk to anyone, which was kind of difficult when it came to employment. Eren had managed to find work in an upscale, fancy type restaurant called The Red Rose, about five or so blocks away from the house. The only reason Jean hadn't forced Eren to quit, was because Eren worked in the back, washing dishes or taking out the trash. There was one person that found ways to talk to him, though not very much, and Eren could tell him anything. His name was Bertolt Hoover. He was older than Eren by a few years, had a kind, almost innocent face, short black hair that fell between and around his eyes, which were almost a light olive-green. Eren always looked forward to being at work away from Jean's wrath, and able to at least talk to someone who didn't contradict or ridicule him. Then there was the fancy restaurant's owner, Aruouo Bozado, who was young despite his appearance, had dirty-blond hair that was kept short around the sides and back, his bangs framing his forehead. He had small hazel eyes, and always wore a beige colored cravat with his uniform. Eren had only spoken to him at his interview, but the man insisted on coming in to check on him every now and then.

Eren sat up slowly, tears still falling down his cheeks as he stood up from the bed, leaning down to rifle through the bottom drawer of his dresser, looking for the specific item he had hidden there months ago. When he had the large, rectangular box in his hands, he sat heavily on the edge of his bed, rubbing one hand over the smooth wooden lid as tears welled in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, Eren opened the lid with shaking hands, moved aside the flimsy piece of cloth, and let his eyes wander over the contents of the box. You see, Jean was a history buff. He collected many different items from different eras, but most of his collection was made up of old-fashioned weapons and war memorabilia. He had several muskets that were taken apart and cleaned daily, pistols and even several rapiers, as well as other swords from Renaissance times. But this particular item would have been the best addition to Jean's vast collection in Eren's eyes. Eren thought back to the day he and Jean had cuddled together in the living room to watch a German history marathon, and both had marveled at the weaponry the Nazi's used. There was one particular dagger that had Jean practically drooling. So when Eren had managed to find the exact dagger that they had seen on tv at a silent auction before his relationship had turned to hell, he quickly snatched it up.

So now here he sat, with the gift he had hidden from his boyfriend for several months. He was going to give it to Jean for Valentine's Day, which was two days away, but with recent events...he wasn't sure it was such a good idea. He pulled it from the box anyway before placing the box beside him, and held the exquisite weapon to his chest tightly. He allowed his eyes to slide shut for a moment, still holding the gift to his chest, and now more than ever his heart was aching. He placed the weapon back in its case and sat it on his table, then he went to his closet to find a notebook. When he found one, he stepped over to his desk and pulled out a pen to write a letter. Once that was done, new tears marring his face, he stood up and left his room, walked down the hall, and stopped outside Jean's room. The room they used to share. He took a deep breath and moved inside, knowing he wouldn't be caught since Jean had left several hours ago, placed the gift on Jean's bedside table, and then sat the note on top of the box. Eren held one hand over the letter for a moment longer before turning to leave the room.

xxx

February 12th

5:15 p.m.

Eren had just gotten off work and was looking forward to nice shower before making dinner, but as soon as he stepped foot inside the house, he was met with an irate Jean, who had been pacing back and forth in the living room. From the look on Jean's face, he knew things were going to get ugly. Again. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by his boyfriend's stern, angry voice.

"Don't. Even."

So Eren closed his mouth, trying desperately not to cry. That would only make things worse, if you could believe that. He knew by now that he only spoke when he was spoken to, or else he suffered the consequences.

"How many more times are we going to have to do this?"

Eren didn't know if the question was rhetorical, or if he should answer. Truthfully, he had no answer for that question. He always asked himself the same damn thing after every fight. Jean had only become worse since the party, and Eren truly wanted to know why he was being treated so badly, when just last year, they had been so in love. So inseparable. He lay awake many nights trying to figure Jean out, and wasn't any closer to getting any results. His eyes flicked to the floor as he angled his head downward slightly, if only to hide from Jean's cruel gaze, when a flash of light caught his attention. Eren choked back a sob. Jean was pointing a gun at his chest.

"You will fucking answer me when I ask you a damn question, Jeager."

Jean had never called Eren by his last name before, and the way he had said it stung like venom. Eyes wide, he took a small step back when he heard a soft click. "I-I...I don't know what you mean by that, Jean! You never talk to me about anything! Instead you-" He felt a tear slide down his cheek. "Instead, you choose to hurt me. And I don't know why."

Jean actually laughed at that. "You can't be that stupid."

"Jean-"

"SHUT UP!"

Eren zipped his lip. Jean had a gun, and he wasn't to eager for the man to use it. But Jean...he didn't even look like himself. Dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in weeks, and he seemed to be struggling with his next words. Was this relationship really so bad that Jean felt the need to beat and humiliate him? To point a gun that was most likely loaded at his boyfriend without an once of shame or guilt or regret etched on his face?

Jean lowered the gun slightly, but his next words hurt more than anything he had ever said to Eren before. "Get out."

"W-what?! Jean, please. Let me help you-"

The gun was pointed straight at Eren's face now, and Jean was slowly moving closer, sheer rage masking any other emotions he had once had for the younger man. "I SAID LEAVE!"

Eren froze. Tears started fresh and stung his eyes. This was it then. Jean didn't want him anymore. If Jean wanted him gone so bad, then fine. Eren wouldn't argue anymore. Without saying a word, he turned on his heel, pulled the door open, and disappeared into the night.

xxx

February 12th

8:03 p.m.

Jean was a wreck. He couldn't believe that he had actually allowed things between himself and the love of his life to get so out of hand. It wasn't as if he wanted to do it... He never wanted to give Eren up for anything. It's just that something had happened recently, and Jean just hadn't been able to tell Eren the truth. The reasons he was being abused and pushed away. Hell, he refused to tell himself. He just wanted Eren to be happy, and if he had told the younger man what was going on, he would've been heartbroken. Eren was the type to never let something so serious go, and would have demanded that they go to someone for help. Jean just couldn't bring himself to tell his boyfriend, and risk seeing the hurt expression on his face when he found out there was nothing they could do. The damage was irreversible.

So instead of just telling Eren the relationship was over, Jean had become abusive, hoping that Eren would stop loving him. Praying that Eren would would hate him so that he wouldn't miss the older man. But Jean had gone and done something that he already regretted. He had pulled a gun on Eren. He could see the fear and love and confusion all mixed together on the younger man's face as a silver and black Desert Eagle was pointed at his chest. Jean hadn't even cried. He just stood there, weapon in hand, hoping Eren would just leave.

And he had.

So now Jean stood in the middle of the living room, gun forgotten on the floor as he stared, unblinking, at the door that Eren had escaped through. Everything hit him all at once, and he crumpled to the floor as he tried and failed to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. He allowed them to drip from his wide eyes onto his knees. He never wanted this relationship to end, but it had blown up because he couldn't find the courage to tell Eren the truth. The reason he was so carelessly pushed away. Jean stood up shakily and moved sluggishly to his bedroom. The room he had once shared with his boyfriend. He paused in the doorway, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness before stepping forward. Something caught his eye in his peripheral vision, so he ambled his way to the bedside table where he saw a neatly written note on top of a box of some kind. He turned on his lamp, and upon recognizing the beautiful handwriting, he snatched up the note and read through tear-filled eyes.

'Jean...

I don't even know where to begin. I don't know what happened to make you do these things to me, and I don't know why I let it happen. Maybe it's because I loved you and hoped that you would be your normal self again. You never told me anything unless it was threats or accusations towards me. Look, I'm sorry if I did something wrong. I know it's too late now, but I still wanted to let you know. It breaks my heart that our relationship turned to shit, and now I'm forced to write this note.

Anyway, this box is for you. I was saving it for Valentine's Day, and I wanted more than anything to see your face when you opened it. But now I know that I can't be here when you do. Just always remember that no matter where I am, I will always love you.

-Eren'

Jean dropped the note and slowly picked up the box. He held it for a moment before pulling the lid open and pushing aside the thin piece of cloth. He gasped.

An authentic Damascus 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger was nestled in red satin. After fumbling with the lamp on his table to angle it upward, Jean picked the weapon up to look more intently at the exquisite detail, from the rosebud and maiden hair pattern and the deep orange celluloid grip, to the fine hand-detailed upper and lower grip fittings, which were aluminum with a beautiful grey background burnishing, and the swastikas on the pommel looked like they were fired guilt. The top of the lower cross guard had fine oak leaf hand detailing, and the lower grip ring was plated silver. Jean stared in awe. There were no nicks or worn spots anywhere. Eager to see if the blade itself was in such pristine condition, he removed it from its scabbard. The blade was just as perfect as the rest of it. No rust, chips, cracks. Nothing but the fine etching detail that resembled small swirls. He replaced the blade in its scabbard.

He couldn't bring himself to do more than stare at the gift in his hands, and his heart broke all over again. Clutching the dagger to his chest, Jean sank to his knees and screamed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Things will be explained soon. And my sister, who until recently did not like yaoi, practically demanded smut. So this chapter contains smut. I do not own AoT or the song used.**

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

It isn't like you never had the chance to change your tune

Did you think that I'm a dime a dance, well the dance is through.

It won't be easy but I got to be strong,

And if I wanna cry, I don't need your shoulder.

I've been living on the edge of a broken heart

I don't wanna fall, I don't wanna crawl.

I've been living on the edge of a broken heart

Don't ya wonder why, I gotta say goodbye?

xxx

Eren didn't know how long he had been running. Sweat dripped off his skin, his breaths were shallow and ragged, his tears had long since dried up. His legs were weak by now and protested each movement, but he pushed through the pain. It wasn't that bad compared to what Jean had put him through. He ran faster, willing himself to put as much distance as he could between himself and that man, lest he go running back to the abuse, just to see Jean's face again. House upon house blurred by him, porch lights shining warmly as he sped past them all. His footsteps echoed in the silence, nearly drowning out his harsh pants. It seemed like he had been running for hours. He had no phone. He had left his laptop and all his clothes behind in his haste to escape before Jean saw fit to pull the trigger. All he could ask himself was why? Why had Jean been so abusive and controlling? Why had Eren let it happen for so long? Oh, but he already knew the answer to that. He loved Jean with all his heart. He had thought that if he stuck through it and took the beatings with no complaint, Jean would break and return to normal. Hoping and praying proved to be useless.

"Fuck!"

Eren cursed into the silence around him. He pumped his legs harder, ran faster. Tears spilled from his eyes as a sharp pain went through his right shin, and he dropped to his knees, gasping for breath and gulping down air as quickly as he could. He closed his eyes tightly to try and stop the steady flow of tears, but to no avail. A dog barked in the distance. He heard a car approaching, but couldn't find the strength to even care. His heart hurt. Here he was with no home, no idea of where he was, and no way to call anyone to explain his situation. Had Eren been a bit more aware of his surroundings, he would have noticed the car that had just pulled to a stop in its driveway. He would have heard the deep voice calling out to him, asking if he was okay. If he had noticed just how weak he was, he wouldn't have tried to stand up and run. But he did anyway. He managed to stand on his two feet, and he was even able to take three steps forward, until both legs gave out and he crumpled to the sidewalk. Had he not passed out from dehydration, he would have seen the person come running over to help him, and the clear, gray eyes creased with concern.

xxx

A warm hand fell upon his hip, the touch feather light, and sent chills down his spine. Moist lips connected with his neck, parted slightly but just enough to feel warm breath fluttering against his flushed skin. He couldn't find his voice, not even to make a sound. But now, the hand that had once been ghosting ever so lightly along his bruised hip, now seemed to dig into the skin, making old wounds re-open. Crimson blood poured from each gash, clashing heavily against his pale skin. The once soft lips were now gone, and the unmistakable bite of a sharp blade replaced them, slicing into the skin in a downward motion from just behind his ear. He tried to scream, but no sound escaped his parched throat. The blade continued its journey down his shoulder, never stopping until a long cut traveled the length of his right arm. He shuddered violently. His limbs had become quivering lumps; he couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Could barely breathe. The only thing he registered now, aside from the familiar voice whispering in his ear, was something hot and blunt pressing down between his legs. His eyes were closed tightly, and no matter what he just could not open them. Heat engulfed him everywhere. He felt blunt nails digging into his upper thigh, and as they moved lower, five small blood trails were left behind. The blade was now pressed against the skin of his neck. He panicked. His hair stuck to his forehead and the back of his neck. He tried to fight but his body felt like jelly. He internally screamed, arms flailing, legs kicking. But it was useless. He didn't know what else to do. So he lay there, silent and unmoving, as something large and hot filled him completely, tears falling from his eyes...

Eren jolted awake, sweat covering his skin. His hands flew automatically to his neck and thigh, and when they came back void of blood, he let out a deep breath. The last thing Eren remembered was running away from Jean, and the home that had once been his as well. So many memories were left behind, and Eren could do nothing to get them back. He had no idea where he was, everything he ever loved was gone. He cried softly and buried his face between his knees.

"Are you alright?"

Eren gasped and jumped, his back connecting with something hard. Now that he was awake, he could see that he was in a bedroom, one that wasn't familiar at all, the only light coming from the open door across the room. He could see someone standing in the doorway and his whole body tensed. "Huh?"

The figure stepped closer, and Eren pushed himself tighter against what he assumed was a headboard, wrapping his arms around himself tightly. "Please, don't hurt me..."

The figure stopped, his hands raised in front of him as he calmly took a step back. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to ask you some questions. Is that alright?"

Eren shuddered. That voice was deep and gruff and sexy. He internally scolded himself. Now was clearly not the time to be turned on by a complete stranger. Taking a deep breath, he nodded his head but did not relax. He needed to be ready for anything at this point. "Yes."

The other man lowered his hands before speaking. "May I come closer?"

Eren choked out a 'yes' and pulled his legs closer together. He needed to get under control. Was he really so starved for affection that the first male voice he heard just had to make his heart flutter? He told himself no, but he knew otherwise. He pointed to a spot on the bed and the other man nodded before moving to the other side of the room.

"I'm going to turn on the light."

"Okay..."

As soon as the light flickered to life, Eren's eyes focused intently on the man now walking towards him. Ebony black hair fell in spikes upon his forehead and around to the back where the rest was shaved off. He looked to be shorter than Eren himself, but what he lacked in height was made up for with muscles that seemed to go on forever. The man sat down on the bed and Eren nearly convulsed. He openly admired the way the man's light blue t-shirt clung to his body like a second skin and the black sleep pants he wore fit loosely around his strong looking legs. The best thing about this man, though, were his eyes. Slightly slanted, they seemed to be forced into a scowl, even though they were looking at Eren with such softness. Eren couldn't help but stare into the swirling gray pools. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the hand suspended in midair in front of him until the man spoke.

"I'm Levi."

His voice should be illegal, Eren screamed to himself. He mustered up enough courage to shake Levi's exceptionally warm hand once, but pulled back as if a snake had bitten him. When their fingers had touched, fiery shocks scattered rampantly through his arm and straight to his groin. They weren't bad shocks. Oh no, these were very much good shocks, and Eren wanted to know if Levi had felt them too. Now his imagination was working overtime. Eren curled his toes into the blanket underneath him and averted his emerald green eyes. "Eren."

Levi smiled. Of course, he had known the young man's name already. But that shall be assessed at another time. Back to the issue at hand. "What were you dreaming about?"

Eren's eyes widened. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, only because you were panting heavily at first." Levi locked eyes with Eren as the younger man looked at him. The brown-haired young man looked scared, as if he were hiding something. "After a few minutes, you started screaming. Begging for somebody to stop. You kept saying 'it hurts.' I watched you for a few more minutes, and the way you were thrashing around, you clearly seemed to be in pain."

Eren sighed. Of course he knew what he had been dreaming about. But that didn't mean he wanted to talk about it. Especially not with a stranger. He closed his eyes and hugged himself tighter. "I...don't remember."

The look on Eren's face told Levi otherwise. However, it wasn't his place to push. So he simply nodded. "Does it have anything to do with why I found you crumpled to the sidewalk outside, nearly out of breath?"

Eren nodded slowly, eyes still screwed shut. Jean. Sure, Eren missed him. But he didn't miss the constant abuse. Having a gun pulled on him was the deal breaker. Suddenly, he felt a sharp stinging in his thigh, and he clutched a hand over the tender spot. As much as he tried to be inconspicuous, Levi seemed to see right through it.

"You're in pain."

Eren shook his head adamantly. "No. I'm fine."

Levi pursed his lips and ran a hand through his hair before standing up. He knew he wasn't going to get any more out of the younger man, so he offered his friendliest smile. The clock on his bedside table read 1:26 a.m. "If you would like to clean yourself up, the bathroom is down the hall and to the right. No offense, but you reek of sweat."

Eren blushed, thoroughly embarrassed. "Thanks..."

Levi nodded. "Leave your clothes outside the door and I will wash them. I have a spare room, but it is being used as an office right now, so in the meantime, you may sleep in here. Also, I noticed that you do not have a phone so if you need to call somebody, you may use mine. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, watch tv, whatever. You can stay here as long as you need to."

"But..." Eren looked down at his hands fidgeting in his lap. Why was a complete stranger being so nice to him? "Where will you sleep?"

"The couch in my living room is quite comfortable."

Eren sighed. He didn't want to impose. "No, it's alright. I'll sleep out there. This is your house-"

"Eren."

He jumped. Again. Warmth flooded his cheeks and he shook his head slightly. Get it together, Jaeger.

"You don't need to be afraid here, Eren. I'm not going to hurt you in any way."

"New places make me nervous."

Levi just stared. Eren was truly a captivating young man. The first time Levi had seen Eren, he had fallen hard. Upon hearing that the object of his naughty desire was already seeing someone, he had always kept his distance. He wasn't the type to come in between someone else's relationship. "Go get cleaned up. I'll wash your clothes and until they are done, you can wear something of mine. If you want, when you're finished with your shower, I'll come back in here and stay with you until you fall asleep."

That was an invitation Eren would definitely not pass up. He smiled brightly. "O-Okay!" He jumped off the bed and sped out of the room, hurrying down the hall to the bathroom. After stepping inside, he stripped out of his clothes and dropped them to the floor before shutting the door behind him.

xxx

February 13th

1:41 a.m.

Levi sat down heavily on the bed after pacing around the room, eyes glued to the floor. He wasn't entirely sure how to handle Eren since he didn't know what it was that the young man had been through. He had asked Bertolt about the man that Eren was dating, but had been told that he didn't know anything except how in love they had been. Something had to have happened recently to make Eren upset and run away from home. As much as he wanted to ask, Levi knew it wasn't any of his business. He figured if the time came for it and Eren wanted him to know, he would tell him. But that didn't make this any easier. He couldn't help lusting after the other boy, which was sure to bring about certain problems. Like now. Shaking away the thoughts of pinning Eren to a wall, Levi stood up from the bed and walked out of the room to get Eren's clothes so he could wash them. However, when he came to a stop outside the bathroom door and saw no lump of dirty clothing, he arched a fine brow. He could hear the water running in the shower, so he figured it would be safe for him to quietly sneak in and grab the clothes without being noticed. He turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, eyes growing wide at the sight before him.

Eren was standing, completely nude and dripping wet, in front of the sink and staring at his reflection in the mirror. Eren shrieked and turned towards him, wrapping long arms around his chest and stomach. The younger man did nothing to try and hide what was dangling between his legs, but was doing everything he could to hide his upper body from Levi's wandering eyes. He watched in stunned silence as Eren finally grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself, hiding his body from view. Damn. "Oi, brat. I told you to leave your clothes outside the door so something like this wouldn't happen. So you wouldn't think I was some kind of fucked up pervert who wants to take advantage of you." Levi turned his eyes to the steam coming out of the shower. "Tch, do you always leave water running while you stare at yourself in the mirror?"

Eren blushed. "N-no...I'm sorry. I just..." He sighed. "Um, could you help me with something?"

Levi turned his head back to Eren, gray eyes meeting green, and he could clearly see the flushed expressing he wore. "What is it?"

Eren pulled one section of the towel away from his body, giving Levi a perfect view of the younger man's left hip and long leg. "It started bleeding."

Levi watched as Eren turned to the side, showing off just how perfectly round his bottom was, and when his eyes caught sight of red against the pale skin, he growled. A large cut ran from just under the middle of his back to just above his hip, blood trickling out slowly. Levi stepped closer to inspect the wound, letting his hand hover over it. He let his eyes travel over what skin he could see, and noticed that the cut wasn't the only thing wrong with the picture. Eren's entire back was littered with bruises, some old and faded, others still purple, and several scars from more cuts. Hell, there were even burn marks scattered all over. Levi could even see bruises on Eren's hip and upper thigh, but they didn't look like finger marks. Instead, they were slightly elongated, as if Eren was beaten with a heavy cylindrical object. By now, Levi was seething. "Who fucking did this shit to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Levi could handle defiance. He could even handle kicking and screaming. But when he tore his eyes away from the expanse of bruised skin, all he could see on Eren's face and reflected in his eyes was hurt. He took Eren's hand and pulled, making Eren pull the towel back around himself. "Go wait in my room. I'll be there to help you in a minute, okay?"

Eren nodded and left the bathroom.

xxx

Eren was having a difficult time trying to still his beating heart. No matter what, he just couldn't get the look on Levi's face out of his mind. The look of pure blood lust. He shivered just as Levi himself walked into the room, watching carefully as the shorter man came to a stop in front of him, and flicked on the lamp that was sitting on the bedside table.

"I need you to remove the towel."

That statement, though completely innocent, sounded anything but. Eren blushed madly as he let the towel fall off his shoulders to pool low around his hips before tossing it to the floor. He averted his eyes as Levi climbed onto the bed behind him, and jumped slightly when he felt something cold touch his skin. "Ah!" Shocked by the sound that just escaped his mouth, Eren closed his eyes tightly. He didn't want to move too much and interrupt what Levi was doing for him. He knew he should have at least told the other man what he had been going through, but he thought that if he did, Levi would just treat him as if he was only looking for the attention. Levi had just applied something to the cut, and Eren cringed at the slight sting. A thick piece of gauze was held in place, then covered by an ace wrap, which had to be wrapped around his stomach so it wouldn't fall off. When Levi's warm fingers traced his skin, Eren gasped loudly.

"I'm sorry, Eren. I didn't mean to do that."

Eren could only nod at this point. When the heat from Levi's body had moved away, Eren couldn't relax. He was still naked. But in all honesty, he didn't care. Suddenly, a hand was in his face. When his eyes focused on the dark blue sleep pants in Levi's hand, he accepted quickly, and put them on. He was exhausted. He pulled his legs up on the bed and flopped onto his back, sighing contently. Sleeping in someone else's bed was sure to be difficult. He let his eyes fall closed as he snuggled into the blankets.

"If you need anything, I'll be in the living room."

Silence.

Apparently, Levi thought that Eren had already fallen asleep, and before leaving the room, he walked over to the side of the bed and let one hand fall lightly on top of the younger man's head, fingers ruffling through the hair almost lovingly. As he pulled his hand away, he felt fingers grasp his wrist tightly.

"Don't leave me..." Eren pulled Levi down onto the bed beside him. "I don't want to be alone."

Levi nodded and made himself more comfortable, but making sure he was situated far enough away from the younger man to give him space. They lay like that for what seemed like forever. Levi was on his back, arms resting on his stomach as he stared at the ceiling. Eren was turned over on his left side facing away from the other man. He feared that if Levi left him, he would have nightmares. It felt like something was crawling on his leg, so he kicked out, which startled Levi, who had been almost asleep. When Eren became still for several more minutes, Levi had managed to doze off again. Until Eren flopped onto his back. Levi rolled his eyes and turned onto his right side so he wouldn't touch the other man. It was becoming more and more difficult the longer he was so close to him. After a few more minutes, he was nudged away from the sleep calling to him by a soft voice.

"Levi, are you awake?"

"Tch, how can I not be when you keep flopping around, brat?"

Eren blushed. He needed some kind of contact, if only to take the pain away for a moment. Becoming quite brave, he turned onto his right side and stared at Levi's back for a few seconds, before scooting himself closer, and draped an arm around the other man's waist. He felt Levi tense his body, as if he wanted to move away but was unsure if he should.

"Eren, what are you doing?"

Eren pulled Levi closer, chest to back, and sighed. "Hold me, Levi."

Levi's eyes went wide at those three words. His chest tightened and his groin stirred to life. Fuck, that's not good. "I don't think that's such a good idea-"

"Please. Just hold me." Eren held tightly to Levi's waist as he tried to inch himself closer still. "It's been so long..." When Levi turned over the best he could, Eren gave him more room, and relaxed when the older man's arms wrapped around his body possessively. Eren nuzzled his face in Levi's warm neck and inhaled. The scent was so overwhelming. He let his fingers curl into the fabric of Levi's t-shirt and held on for dear life. He didn't want to go too far. He hoped that with Levi holding him, he wouldn't feel the need for anything else. But he couldn't ignore the feelings coursing through him because of Levi's tender embrace, and before he realized what he was doing, his lips were pressed softly to the skin just above the collar of the shirt the older man wore.

"E-Eren..."

"Hm?"

Levi closed his eyes and angled his hips away from the younger man. He didn't need Eren to know just how badly that soft kiss had affected him. "If you don't want me to do certain things to you, then I suggest that you refrain from doing that again."

Kiss. "But what's the fun in stopping?" Kiss.

Levi groaned deeply when he felt a hot tongue flick out over his pulse point and allowed his eyes to slide shut. As much as he wanted this to continue, he knew he should stop the younger man before things got complicated. "Eren, please."

The warning in Levi's voice was enough to have Eren wincing as if he had been slapped. "...I'm sorry." Eren pulled away from the heat of Levi's body and turned onto his left side, facing away so Levi wouldn't see the tears spilling from his eyes.

xoxo

February 13th

7:01 a.m.

Levi woke to the sound of glass shattering. He bolted out of bed and ran through the bedroom door and down the hall, rounding the corner and coming to a stop in the doorway of the kitchen, the only light being from the bulb above the sink. When his wide, gray eyes landed on the lump on the floor, he stepped forward and opened his mouth to speak when a muffled shriek filled the otherwise silent room.

"P-please don't hurt me!"

Levi watched in stunned silence as Eren held both arms up and wrapped them around his head like a makeshift shield, his body bent forward over his trembling knees and the glass scattered about the floor. The young man was clearly scared beyond belief, and Levi wanted to know, now more than ever, just what Eren had been through to make him act that way. Stifling a groan at the mess that was Eren, Levi walked past him and opened the door beside the refrigerator, stepping inside the small room after fumbling for the light, and stepped back out carrying a broom and dustpan. He walked over to the broken glass, careful not to step on any since he was barefoot, calmly swept the mess into a pile, and then gathered it all up in the pan before walking to the trash can to empty out the shards of glass. After that was done, Levi dropped to his knees in front of Eren and placed one hand on the younger man's shoulder, using the other to lift his head to stare into those beautiful emerald pools brimming over with tears. "Hey Eren, I'm not going to hurt you. I told you I wouldn't, and I'm not the type to go back on my word. You have no reason to be afraid here." His soft voice mixed with the strong but gentle touch seemed to calm the younger man just enough that he managed to stop crying. Good, Levi thought. Tears damn well didn't fit the younger man. "It was an accident, and it was just a cup. I have plenty more."

Eren wiped a hand across his eyes and sniffed. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." Eren looked into Levi's swirling gray eyes with such sadness, and it made the older man swell with something he hadn't felt in so long. "I was just thirsty." When Levi only smiled, Eren lost all control. He sucked in a breath and practically launched himself into Levi's lap, crushing his lips against the older man's as he wrapped one hand around the back of his neck to deepen the kiss, placing the other firmly against Levi's heaving chest to pull him closer. "Mmm..." Eren moaned into the kiss as Levi shifted his weight to sit more comfortably, the older man letting his hands slide up and down Eren's sides a few times before letting them rest tightly against the younger man's trembling hips. Eren gasped and threw his head back when he rolled his hips against Levi's, the intense friction coupled with the lack of any physical contact in what seemed like an eternity causing Eren to buck his hips in a frenzied pace. "Aahh...Levi, f-fuck me. Please do it!"

Levi moved his lips to Eren's beautifully exposed neck and sucked hard, drawing out more grunts and moans of delight from the younger man. His brain told him to stop. Screaming profanities and cursing himself to the fiery pits of Hell for his actions. But he was aching in a way that he just couldn't ignore any longer. "Fucking brat."

Eren was pushed onto his back as Levi crawled between his legs, not wasting a second in removing each others' clothing. When a hand was suddenly in his face, Eren grabbed it and eagerly sucked three fingers into his hot, wet mouth, sliding his tongue between each digit to coat them completely with saliva. Not even a minute later, Levi pulled his hand from Eren's mouth and moved it out of sight, allowing the first finger to probe Eren's tight entrance before sliding it in to the knuckle. He immediately added a second finger and quickly began scissoring them in and out of the tight hole, Eren's moans echoing off the walls around them. Levi could feel Eren tightening around his fingers and he groaned heatedly.

"I can't wait anymore..."

Levi pulled his fingers out, spit into the same hand then wrapped it around his painfully erect cock and jerked a few times before lifting Eren's legs and spreading them wide, lined himself up, and surged forward, not stopping until he was fully seated. "Oh, fucking hell..." Levi pushed his knees forward a bit, grabbed on to Eren's hips, and went to town. His thrusts were wild and rough. Fingers like vices against Eren's skin. Eyes screwed shut as he literally pounded the younger man into the hardwood floor, Eren's cries of pleasure never ceased. The kid was loud. So very loud...and so fucking HOT. Hot...tight...wet...Levi chanted to himself as he pummeled his hips against Eren's, the sound of skin slapping together entirely too erotic to stop. He felt nails dig into his shoulders and he picked up the pace. In-out-in-out-in-out...his dick was so hard it felt like lead. He knew it wouldn't take much more to send him over the edge.

"AAAH LEVI! God, don't stop..." Eren moaned even louder, each sound becoming more frantic and eager each time his prostate was hit. "Fuck, r-right there...yes-yes-yes..." Eren screamed as his orgasm shot through him like an arrow, the hot, sticky liquid covering both their chests.

Levi slammed his hips forward harder, once, twice, three times..."Fffuuuucckk...shit..." His fluids spilled into the heat surrounding him and he let his head fall back, eyes still tightly closed. That was the best orgasm of his life. When he managed to get his breathing under control, Levi opened his eyes and looked down at Eren. The younger man's eyes were heavy-lidded and glazed over with lust. When Levi loosened his death grip on Eren's hips and pulled them away, he noticed blood on his fingers. "Tch, god damn it. I hope you're fucking happy now, I made you bleed."

Eren just smiled and pulled Levi down for a deep kiss. After a few seconds, he pulled away to look into Levi's swirling gray eyes. "I don't care."

"Well I do. Now get up so I can clean the blood and cum off the floor before it dries."

"Are you really that much of a clean-freak?" Eren giggled.

Levi sucked his teeth and pulled his spent length from Eren's hole. "Yes, I am. I hate dirt. I hate dust. And I hate it when things get spilled on my floor. Now get your ass up, go take a shower, and let me clean your fucking mess."


End file.
